Freckle Face Summer

“Look what I found at the grocery store!” I called out to Steven as I walked into the kitchen and placed the small green pot on the counter.

“I was hoping for food.” Steven sounded disappointed when he came into the kitchen and saw the plant I was fussing over.

“There’s plenty of that in the car.” I moved the pot closer to the window. “I didn’t want anything to happen to this little beauty, so she rode up front with me.” I brushed a speck of dirt off the pink-dotted green leaves. “It’s called a Polka Dot plant, but the other name it goes by is Freckle Face!” I looked at Steven. “So I’m going with Freckle Face.” I couldn’t help but smile. “Isn’t that the cutest name?”

“Sure.” Steven grabbed his jacket to go out and get the groceries. “Cute name.”

I was still busy fussing over my new little friend when Steven came back in with the bags. “This is all of it.” He placed the bags on the counter and accidentally bumped one of them against the plant.

“Careful,” I said, moving the plant from harm.

“Oops, sorry.” He began unloading the bags. “So where are you going to put it?”

“On the back porch,” I said. “It says it likes moderate to low light, so I thought the table next to the rocking chair would be perfect.” I began helping him unload the bags.

“It can go out now?” Steven seemed surprised.

“Well, not right now,” I admitted as I filled the fruit bowl with clementines. “It’s still too cold out. But once it reaches 60 degrees it’s our new porch plant!”

Steven looked at me. “You know it still goes down to the 30s at night. It’s not going to be able to go outside until late May at the earliest.”

“I know that.”

“So why did you buy it now?”

“Because when I saw it at the grocery store it just made me think of summer evenings on the porch.” I looked out the kitchen window where I could still see a few stray fall leaves blowing around. “I can’t wait to get the hummingbird feeder hung and put the pillows out.” I turned around and looked at Steven. “I guess I’m just in a rush for summer.”

“But what about spring?” Steven asked. “Usually at this time of year you’re standing by the lilac bush letting me know when you see the first bud.”

“I know.” I sighed. “But for some reason this last cold snap has me wanting to go right to summer.” I shrugged my shoulders. “Freckle Face can live on the counter for now.”

Steven looked over at the plant. “I guess for an impulse buy it’s not a bad one.”

“I see you’re ready for summer, too!”

“Actually, I was just thinking how lucky I was that the grocery store wasn’t selling puppies, kittens or baby bunnies.”

“Oh, the baby bunnies!” I cried. “I wonder when our first litter will be hopping around the front yard.”

Steven shrugged his shoulders. “Wasn’t it about the same time the lilacs started to bloom?”

I grabbed my jacket and headed for the front door.

“Where are you going?” Steven asked. “I told you I already got all the groceries out of the car.”

“I know. I’m going to check the lilac bush and see if there are any buds on it yet.” I was already out the door, excited to see what I would find. “I can’t believe it’s almost bunny season!” I called over my shoulder.